Improvement in washing-machines



A. MGGRAW E J. GILBAUGH. l

Washing Machine No. 201,434. rpgiemed March19,1s78.

M -L/ m no En! e lg Fg. E-

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

l ADOLPHUS MGGRAW AND JOHN GILBAUGH, OF ANITA, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Speciication forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,434, dated March 19, 1878; application filed February 13, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we,AnoLPHUs McGRAw and JOHN GILBAUGH, of Anita, in the county of Cass and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in washing-machines; and it consists in a pivoted operating -lever having the pounder or pounders connected to it, and made to revolve by means of a pawl and ratchet every time the lever is raised upward, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings represent our invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion ot' the handle, showing the dog and ratchet. Fig. 3 is a detail of the washer or pounder.

a represents a suitable frame, upon which the tub b is placed while the washing is being done. The legs of this frame are connected together near their lower ends by means of the bar d, and fastened to this bar and passing through the top of the frame is the standard c,in the upper end of which the operatinglever e is pivoted. This lever can be adjusted up and down in the end of the standard, so as to adjust the pounders to the amount of clothes in the tub to be washed.

Attached to the lever at the end opposite to the handle gis the counter-balance h, which serves to overcome the weight of the pounders to such an extent as to require but little effort in raising the pounder upward out of the water.

Through the lever just over the tub is made a slot, t', one end of which is much larger than the other portion. Up through this enlarged end is passed the pivoting-rod o, which projects up from the'top of the connecting-rod l, and which rod o has a head upon its upper end, so as to catch over the top of the lever after it has been moved into the small portion of the slot. In order to prevent this rod o vfrom moving backward in the slot toward the enlarged portion where it would drop out of the lever, a pin, spring, or other device, n, is passed through the rod, so as to hold it constantly in one position.

To the lower end ofthe connecting-rod l is secured the horizontal` bar p, to each end of which is secured an atmospheric pounder, r, each one of which pounders has its lower portion divided into three or more separate airchambers, into which the air is compressed as the pounders are forced. downward into the water.

Upon the upper end of the connecting-rod is secured the ratchet s, with which the rigid pawl t, secured to the side of the lever, engages, so that every time the lever is raised upward the pawl will cause the connectingrod and the pounders attached to its lower end to revolve partially around. By thus causing the lever to automatically revolve the pounders each time that the lever is raised upward, the pounders are moved into a new position over the clothes, and thus every part of them will be washed alike. As the action of the pawl in revolving the pounders causes no, or but very little, additional weight or strain upon the lever, it is apparent that all the operator has to do is simply to Work the handle, and every part of the clothes will be thoroughly washed, without any extra atten tion or labor upon his or her part. By thus securing the pawl rigidly to the side of the handle and pivoting the pounders direct to the handle, the complicated and useless parts are done away with, and the construction of the machine simplified and cheapened accordingly.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- The combination of the stand a, standard c, lever e, provided with weight h and slot t', rod o, rod Z, having the pounders attached thereto, a ratchet upon its upper end, and pawl t, substantially as shown and described.

In testimonythat we claim the foregoing We have hereunto set our hands this 6th day of February, 187 8.

ADOLPHUS MCGRAW.

JOHN GILBAUGH. Witnesses:

CHARLES STEINMETZ,

L. P. FROST. 

